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Top 25 Women of Influence: Maayan Ziv, Founder of AccessNow

Oct 03, 2017

Growing up with spinal muscular atrophy, Maayan Ziv knows firsthand the frustration and challenges that a lack of accessibility can cause. So in 2015, she created the AccessNow app to help solve the problem. It uses crowdsourcing to pin the accessibility status of locations on an interactive map, enabling users to search for specific places or browse what’s nearby, as well as add information and ratings to listings. In the summer of 2017 — having already reached over 10,000 pins in 31 countries — AccessNow partnered with Icon Wheelchairs and Google to map the 85-kilometre Pan Am Path, enhancing access to outdoor spaces for people of all abilities.